What does this have to do with the government workforce getting older? Public servants' median age (45.6) is closer to the embalming and casket industry than it is to the boot and sandal industry and public finance employees have the eighth-oldest median age of all workers in the labor force.

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With the caveat that BLS doesn't break down public administration into state, local and federal, the statistics show that no category of public administration job notches a median age younger than 42.6 ("Justice, public order, and safety activities"). In addition to quinquagenarian public finance employees, "administration of economic programs and space research" workers have a median age of 48.8.

We have covered the potential so-called "retirement wave" in federal service here at GovExec.com and the BLS statistics speak to the aging workforce. Politico reported last year that only 17 percent of the federal government's workforce is younger than 35—according to BLS, the median age of those working at gas stations—and that more than 25 percent of feds are over 55.

Polling has shown that Americans want "the best people" in government service regardless of age, but how can government hire younger? When Politico reported on the aging federal workforce, personnel experts said the government has done a poor job of recruiting and lacks a good hiring strategy.

"It’s not so much a matter that old people are stupid and young people are smart," University of Texas professor and Government Executive contributor Don Kettl said. "It’s that smart agencies develop a plan for a pipeline. The federal government’s biggest problem is it’s not very good at pipeline planning."

As the administration seeks to implement a major reorganization, agencies will need to figure out how to hire more young people to fill the ranks. The private sector may offer some models, but government leaders may want to steer clear of the funeral industry.

Prior to joining Government Executive’s staff, Ross Gianfortune worked at The Washington Post, The Gazette Newspapers, WXRT Radio and The Columbia Missourian. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Missouri and a master's in communications from the American University.

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